Cable reel



Sept. 29, 1936. D F. CARTLIDGE 2,055,681

CABLE REEL Filed April 25, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept; 29, 1936. F. CARTLIDGE CABLE REEL Filed April 27. 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 29, 1936 warren sm'rss PATENT GFFICE CABLE REEL Application April 27,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in cable reels of the type adapted to be mounted on loading machines which load by movement along amine track remote from the source of power.

The, principal objects of my invention are to provide a new and improved device of the class described directly connected to the loading machine drive motor and so arranged that cable may readily be payed off from the reel or wound thereon While the drive motor is rotating in one direction and the reel may maintain tension on the cable when the machine is stationary on the track and the drive motor is continuously rotating.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts as will herein be described in connection with the accompanying drawings and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of a loading machine of the track-mounted type having a cable reel constructed in accordance with my invention mounted thereon;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the rearward portion of the machine illustrating the mounting of the cable reel on the machine and the drive from the motor thereof;

Figure 3 is a partial rear end View of the device shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged side elevation of the gathering reel with parts broken away and shown in substantially vertical section;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along line 55 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a sectional View somewhat similar to Figure 5, with the drive mechanism positioned differently than in Figure 4; and

Figure '7 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along line 'l-'l of Figure 5.

In the drawings the embodiment of my invention illustrated is shown as being combined with a loading machine It. Said loading machine is of the ordinary track-mounted type and consists of an inclined gathering and loading element ll extending forwardly from a track-mounted main frame l2 and a discharge conveyer M disposed beneath and extending rearwardly of said gathering and loading element for discharging material gathered thereby onto a mine car or other suitable receptacle.

A motor I5 is provided on the rearward end of said main frame and affords a source of power for the major operating parts of the machine.

Said motor may be of any type, but is herein.

1935, Serial No. 18,501

preferably shown as being an electric motor of an ordinary construction, and is provided with a longitudinally extending armature shaft [1. The forward end of said armature shaft serves as a means for driving the main operating parts of the machine while the rear end of said armature shaft is provided with a pinion I9 meshing with an internal gear 20 which internal gear serves as a driving member for a cable reel or winding drum 2|.

Said cable reel is of an ordinary construction and is mounted on a longitudinally extending shaft 24 which is supported at its ends in suitable brackets 25 and 26 extending from said motor and main frame, respectively.

Suitable electric conducting means are connected to said cable reel and adapted to be wound thereon. Said conducting means, as herein shown, consists of a double conductor electric cable 23. winding drum laterally from the machine through a cable guiding member 21 which consists of a pair of spaced vertically-disposed rollers 29, 29 and a pair of spaced horizontal rollers 30, 30 so arranged that said cable may pass Said cable extends from said therebetween and be trained upwardly or down- Wardly therefrom and forwardly or rearwardly of the machine. The ends of said cable are adapted to be connected to suitable electric conductors or a source of power remote from the machine proper for conducting current thereto in the usual manner and said cable is adapted to conduct power to the machine through suitable collector rings (not shown) mounted within a housing 32 extending rearwardly from said drum and connected with a main conductor cable 33.

Referring now in particular to Figures 4 to 6, inclusive, illustrating in detail the novel means for driving said winding drum, the internal gear 20 is mounted on a spider or drum 35 which is journaled on the longitudinal shaft 24 for free rotation with respect thereto. Said spider forms a support for yieldable drive means for said winding drum which includes a roller 36 journaled on a lever arm 31 intermediate the ends thereof and adapted to yieldably engage an inner periphery of a flanged member 39 extending from one flange of said Winding drum.

The lever arm 31 and mounting therefor is best shown in detail in Figures 5, 6, and '7. Said lever arm is mounted adjacent one of its ends on a pair of bearings 40, 40, herein shown as being ball bearings of an ordinary construction, which bearings are in turn mounted on a bracket 4] in iii a suitable manner.

Said bracket is secured to 7 the inside of said spider by means of suitable nuts and bolts, and is so arranged that the axis of pivotal movement: of said lever arm is parallel to but Offset from the axis of rotation of said winding drum and the axis of rotation of said roller.

The opposite end of said lever arm, when po 7 sitioned as shown in Figure 5, extends downan end of a compression spring. 49.

Wardly from the axis of rotation of said roller and is pivotally connected adjacent its end to a lug. 43 extending from a threaded member 44. Said threaded member has a nut 45 threaded thereon and also has a collar 41 mounted thereon abutting said nut, which is adapted to abut Said compression spring encircles the threaded member 14 and the opposite end thereof abuts a member 59 secured to said spider. 'It is thus apparent that the roller 36 may be engaged with the inner varying strengths for varying operating conditions. A suitable aperture 5| is provided in said spider to provide ready accessibility to said nut.

With reference now to the details of the flanged member 39 which is a driven member, in that it is driven from the roller 36, and forms a driving member for the winding drum 2|, the inner periphery of said member is herein shown as being formed in the shape of a circle generated by a radius whosecenter is coaxial with the axis 'of rotation of'said winding drum whichinner periphery is herein shown as being provided with a'pair ofopposed depressions 53, 5 3. Said depressions, as herein shown, a re generated by arcs having radii eccentric of the center of rotation of said winding drum and form a slight hump or peak, generally indicated by reference character 54,. where they join the circumference of the inner periphery of said flanged member.

I Thus, the inner periphery of said flanged member is irregular for a portion of its-length and the depressed or irregular portions of said inner periphery, form-a means whereby the roller 36 may drivefsaidwinding drum upon rotation of said spider.

7 It will thus be apparent that upon rotation of said internal gear; and spider that the roller 36 engaged withthe innerperiphery of the flange 39 by'the compression spring 49, will serve to rotate said winding drum as it 'rollsaround the inner periphery thereof andengages the inclined surface of' the depression '53 which terminates in .the peaked portion 54, .andthat when loads on said winding drum arejexcessive, said roller will roll oversaid peak, which will permit said internal gear and spider to rotate with respect to said winding drum, said roller'rolling along the inner periphery of said flange. Itwill also be apparent reference character 5?;

land forwardly ofthe machine to a, suitable prop to which it may be. detachably connected by means of a block detachably mounted on said cable. Said block is in'turn connected to said prop by means ofa suitable chain indicated by From said prop said cable usuallyextends rearwardly of the machine to the entry or source of power to which it is connected at its end. Thus, as the machine is moved forwardly along the track, cable is wound on the winding drum and as it moves rearwardly 0f the track, cable is payed oiT therefrom while said drum is stationary when the machine is stationary and maintains tension on the cable.

It is thus seen that the internal gear 20 is continually driven from the motor l5, while the winding drum is only driven from said motor when it is desired to wind cable thereon, and

that the driving mechanism provides tension on said cable which prevents the cable from becoming slack and lying on the track and getting run over by the machine. It will also be seen that inasmuch as an anti-friction roller serves as a driving member, the driving mechanism is so arranged that it may effectively drive the winding drum and eliminate excessive heating and friction of the parts during rotation of said parts with respect to each other.

While I have herein shown and described one form of my invention, I do not wish to be limited to the. precise details of construction or arrangements of parts herein shown and described except as specifically limited in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described, a movable truck, a cable reel thereon, a cable adapted to be wound on said cable reel, a driving member, and a yieldable drive connection from said driving member to said reelv for winding cable on said reel and maintaining tension on said cable during the unwinding operation and stalling while said driving member is continuously rotating in one direction comprising a lever arm pivoted to said driving member adjacent one of its ends for movement about an axis parallel to but offset from the axis of rotation of said reel, a roller journaled on said lever arm intermediate the ends thereof for engagement with an inner surface of said reel formed so as to be a continuous surface having a gradual depression therein, and compression means pivotally connected to the free end of said said reel.

2. In a device of the class described, a movable truck, a cable reel thereon, a cable adapted to be wound on said cable reel, a driving member, and a yieldable drive connection from said driving member to said reel for winding cable on said reel and maintaining tension on said cable during the unwinding operation and stalling while said driving member is continuously rotating in one direction comprising a lever arm pivoted to said driving member adjacent one of its ends, an annular flange having an inner periphery, a. portion of which is generated by a radius coaxial with the axis of rotation of said drum and another portion of which is generated by a relatively long radius eccentric of the axis of rotation of said drum to form a continuous surface having a gradual depression therein, a roller journale'd on said lever armrintermediate the ends thereof for engagement with the inner periphery of said flange, said roller having a diameter which is less than the radius of the arc of said depressed portion, a compression spring interposed between the free end of said arm and said driving member for yieldably engaging said roller with the inner periphery of said flange, and means for adjusting the force with which said compression spring may engage said roller with the inner periphery of said with a cable reel drum, means releasable upon a predetermined load on said cable reel drum for driving said drum and maintaining tension on a cable adapted to be wound on said reel during stalling of said reel or the unwinding operation while said driving means is continuously rotating in one direction including a driving member rotatable about an axis coaxial with the axis of rotation of said drum, a driven member associated with said drum and having an inner periphery, a portion of which is generated by a radius coaxial with the axis of rotation of said winding drum and other portions of which are generated by relatively long radii whose axes are offset from the axis of rotation of said drum to form a pair of gradual depressions in said driven member, a lever arm pivotally mounted on said driving member adjacent one of its ends for movement about an axis offset from but parallel to the axis of rotation of said driving member, yieldable means engaging the opposite end of said lever arm, and a roller journaled intermediate the ends of said lever arm adapted to yieldably engage the inner periphery of said driven member, said roller having a diameter which is less than the radius of the arc of said depressed portion.

FRANK CARTLIDGE. 

